New Delhi, July 5 (IANS) The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, accusing it of treating “anti-national forces” as “revolutionaries” after a Delhi court rejected the bail pleas filed by Umar Khalid and Sharjeel Imam in the larger conspiracy case related to the 2020 North East Delhi riots.

The court held that it was bound by the Supreme Court’s earlier order declining them bail and that their fresh applications were not maintainable.

Talking to IANS, BJP National Spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla said: “Congress has been lobbying for Sharjeel Imam and Umar Khalid, who were involved in conspiring against the country, wanted to break up the nation and also wanted to separate the Northeast (states) from India.”

“Such people were being treated like Nelson Mandela, as if they are some kind of revolutionaries, by Congress and its ecosystem. Despite playing victim card, they have still not got relief from the Supreme Court or the High Court. Is Congress saying that courts are not delivering justice? The heart of the Congress beats for such anti-national elements,” he alleged.

He also accused the Congress of siding with Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon after their convictions (for plotting terror attacks), saying: “Sometimes they lobby for the Maoists and today they are doing so for Umar and Sharjeel.”

Poonawalla also accused the Congress of “standing with everybody who wants to break the country”, due to its “hatred” against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP.

“Congress is displaying anti-India sentiments because of its hatred for the BJP,” he reiterated.

Echoing similar view, BJP spokesperson Pratul Shah Deo said: “The Congress must be frustrated with this (decision) because they are always in support of anti-national elements. The ‘tukde-tukde gang will again be active, demanding their release.”

“Waging war against the nation is not a joke,” he asserted.

Welcoming the decision of the court, the BJP leader said: “It is a tight slap for those people and parties who support ‘Jihadi’ mentality.”

BJP MP Manan Mishra added that it was “natural” for the lower court to reject their bail since the apex court had already done the same thing.

“It is absolutely correct decision,” he said.

The case relates to the alleged larger conspiracy behind the communal violence that broke out in northeast Delhi in February 2020.

Khalid and Imam are among the several accused booked under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) and other penal provisions.

–IANS

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